Waiting for You

This is a story about friendship. Sandhill Crane are fairly social birds that are usually encountered in pairs or family groups through the year. During migration and winter, nonrelated cranes come together to form “survival groups,” which forage and roost together. This picture captured such a group that was calling and waiting for one of their members. I merged and processed 4 original photos to recreate this touching moment. The pictures were shot at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico, US.

Ms Dou worked as a molecular biologist and is an artist living in West Linn, OR. More of her artwork can be seen in other issues of The Permanente Journal.